


Paternal Instincts

by tiger_in_the_flightdeck



Series: The Steamer Trunk Case Files [6]
Category: Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms, Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle
Genre: Daddy Issues, Daddy Kink, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Literally everyone in the world wants to get with John Hamish Watson, M/M, Story: The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire, Watson just wants to take care of everyone, and maybe get a bit of sleep
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-03
Updated: 2014-03-03
Packaged: 2018-01-14 09:13:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1260964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tiger_in_the_flightdeck/pseuds/tiger_in_the_flightdeck
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack Ferguson collapses after being told that he will be sent away from his father's side. Frightened and despondent, he latches onto Watson, hoping that he will take his father's place. Later, Holmes shows Watson that he is just as fond of his paternal treatment.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Paternal Instincts

**Author's Note:**

> Note the first- In the Canon, Jacky is 15. And Watson seems to think he's a sexy little thing. 
> 
> Note the second- There's a reason that The Sussex Vampire rarely(if ever) gets adapted straight from the original source material. It is straight up daddy kink. I really don't know how it managed to get published.

We had just sat down to begin our dinner at the little inn on the outskirts of Lamberly when we were interrupted by the innkeeper. Dolores had run down from the Cheeseman’s, begging to speak with me. In her distress, she had lapsed into her native language, and I was only able to pick out small catches of phrases and words between her shaking breaths. I sat her down and poured her a glass of brandy which she swallowed in one gulp followed by a hiss.

While we were lacing our boots and fetching our jackets, Holmes and I worked out that Bob Ferguson had confronted his boy about his attack on the baby. He had told him that he was being sent away, and Jack had thrown a fit. He was now lying in bed with a fever, sobbing uncontrollably.

We left the maid at the inn and borrowed a pair of horses to make it back up to Ferguson’s house as quickly as possible. I had suggested that Holmes stay behind, since he was beginning to succumb to the low drop that often occurred after a case. That this ridiculous rumour of vampires had ended with Holmes telling a man that his beloved little boy was trying to hurt his infant, had left my companion looking lost and exhausted. “Are you all right, Holmes?” I asked softly as we dismounted, and handed the reins off to one of the stable hands.

Holmes batted his hand in the air, and burrowed deeper into his greatcoat. “Fine,” he mumbled, drawing the brim of his hat down over his eyes. With that, he seemed to be asleep while walking, and I felt it best to leave him to his own devices while I tended to the boy.

Jack’s room was dark, the only light coming from a branch of candles set on the table along the far wall. The curtains were drawn, and I could hear the lad’s shivering coming from the bed. “Jack, it’s Dr. Watson. Do you remember me?”

His reply was a weak groan, and through the dim gloom, I saw him draw himself into a tight ball in the middle of the large bed. “Go ‘way.” he muttered, turning to press his face into his pillow. His voice was thick and heavy. The poor thing sounded wrung out from crying. There was a large part of my mind that told me not to feel pity for him, that he had come dangerously close to being a murderer. But it was the next thing to impossible when I heard his timid little whine. “Daddy’s sending me away.” he mumbled with his face still held to his pillow to muffle his words. “He says he doesn’t want me anymore.”

I tutted quietly and rubbed his back as I lowered myself down onto the edge of the bed. Even through the blanket, I could feel the twist in his spine that caused his limp, and the corded muscles around the injury. The boy had been handed hardship after hardship through his short life, and I could understand his final breakdown. “You know he didn’t mean it the way he said it.” I insisted, measuring out a mixture which I hoped would bring down his fever. The shock would pass on its own, but the temperature Jack was running would only make matters worse for him.

Behind me, the door creaked and I glanced back to see Holmes hovering in the doorway like a spirit. I offered him a small smile, and he nodded before going to sit in one of the chairs.

The cup of medicine acted quickly, and Jack drifted into a deep sleep, still curled up in his little ball. I held his wrist to monitor his pulse until it began to slow and steady out. The bedding was damp with sweat, so I rummaged around until I found new sheets. Jack didn’t wake while I lifted him up and spread the clean bedding down. He stirred, and burrowed against my chest, but otherwise slept soundly even after I put him back down and covered him with a fresh quilt.

Holmes watched this all, staying silent. I wondered if he was even with me, or if he was away in his head. It was common for him to wander off into his mind and not emerge for hours or even days. I scrubbed my hands in the wash basin, and tucked another blanket around the man. “Do you want to head back to the inn?” I asked, crouching on the floor with my hands on Holmes’ knees.

Pale grey eyes regained their gleam and Holmes seemed to come back to himself. He glanced over at the bundle on the bed, then shook his head. “No. No, I’ll stay here until he’s well again.” Holmes gave me a small smile that was mostly a quirk of his lips. Reaching out, he brushed his fingertips over my cheek, letting them scrape across my stubble before leaning in to press our foreheads together. “I believe you should get some rest, in case the lad wakes up in the night.”

“I’ll stay up, I’ve done it enough times before. If I am too tired, I’ll simply sleep on the train home.”

Holmes patted my cheeks with his fingers, and nodded. He snuggled down into his chair with the blanket creating a cocoon around him. His chin tucked down to his chest and appeared to fall asleep.

 

Despite my claim that I would stay awake, the darkness of the room, and the silence soon lulled me to sleep. I had drawn one of the chairs closer to the bed so I could keep a close eye on Jack’s pulse and breathing. I had  no clue of the time when I was awoken by the creaking of the bed.

“Jack, you should stay under the covers.” I chided. The boy was sitting up, looking around the room with an expression close to confusion on his face. His soft golden hair was a mess, licked up on one side and pressed flat on the other. Even in the low light of the room I could see the hurt look in his wide blue eyes when he searched around to find that his father wasn’t there. Jack’s voice was small and watery, calling for Ferguson.

“Where’s Daddy?” he demanded, drawing his covers up to his chin.

I checked his blood pressure, and listened to his breathing, relieved to find that his lungs were clear. The wetness in his breathing was coming from his unshed tears. “He is downstairs looking after his wife and the baby.” I explained. Even knowing what the boy had done, I couldn’t bring myself to speak cruelly to him.

“Is the baby sick? I didn’t _mean_ for him to get sick. I just…” Whining, he pulled the blanket over his head and drew his knees up to his chest.

“I have an older brother.” I stated after a moment. The boy’s trembling could be seen even through the blankets. “My friend Mr. Holmes does as well. My father favoured my brother when we were boys, and it carried on even until we were adults.” While I was speaking, I dug through my bag to see if I could find any sweets. With a triumphant grin I produced a handful of wrapped peppermints. I unwrapped one with enough care that Jack could hear the crinkle of the paper. “And my Holmes is still in rivalry with his brother. You should see them together. Why, just last Christmas, I had to clean potato off the wall after an argument over who was meant to inherit a chess set.”

Jack moved the blanket to peek out. One of his hands darted forward, his fingers wiggling to receive a peppermint. “ _Your_ Holmes?” he asked, slurping on the sweet.

“I- No. I meant my _friend_ Holmes. You remember him.” I deflected. “My companion that was with me this afternoon. The tall man with the dark hair.”

Nodding thoughtfully, Jack rolled the peppermint over his tongue and ventured a bit further from his blanket nest. “He was very friendly.”

“Yes, he can be like that on occasion.”

“You’re being very friendly to me, too. Kind.”  
“I’m a doctor, Jack. I’m supposed to be kind.”

Tears welled up once again in the boy’s eyes. “No one’s going to be kind to me again. Daddy says I’m going to be sent to sea if he can’t find somewhere else for me. He doesn’t want me anymore. He’s going to send me away!”

“Hush, Jack, just hush.” I moved out of my chair and the bed sagged under my weight when I sat back down on the edge of it. Jack didn’t hesitate before wrapping his arms around my chest. Before I could stop him, he clambered into my lap and sobbed into my collar.

“I know I did something wrong.” he cried, twisting his fingers into my shirt. “I do. I know that.” His eyes were red rimmed and wet when he pulled back to look up at me. “You know that too, Dr. Watson. That’s why you’re trying to make me better. Will you tell Daddy? Tell him I didn’t mean to be bad. Please.” Jack hiccuped and rested his head back on my shoulder. When I looked down, his lips were stretched around his thumb, his eyes closed.

I nearly picked him up from my lap and bolted from the room.

“I can’t promise anything, Jacky. But I’ll try to speak with him.”

At the pet name, Jack squirmed happily and tucked his head up under my chin. When he let go of his thumb, it was with a wet pop and a waft of peppermint. “You played rugby with Daddy, right?” he asked, turning on my thighs. “He told me. He’s got newspaper clippings from when he played for Richmond. Says he used to throw you around.” One of his slender hands slid across my chest and over my upper arm. “I don’t believe that. You probably beat Daddy all the time.”

“Jacky,” I caught his hand in mine, holding it away from my chest. This time he giggled and crooned when I used the name. “ _Jack_. You should go back to sleep.”

He shook his head and tightened his hand in my shirt. “Not tired anymore.” he mumbled. His thumb slipped back between his lips and I could feel the thick fringe of his lashes moving against the side of my neck when he blinked slowly.

“Jack, did your father ever hold you like this?” My hands flexed against the bed, and I turned my head to rest my chin on top of his soft hair.

He was silent.

“Did he, Jacky?”

The lad sniffled and lifted his knees up to his chest. “No. Not ever.”

“Are you lying to me?”

Jack’s movements were slow and hesitant, his injury making him clumsy. He turned around until he had a knee on either side of my lap and wriggled closer. Lifting the hem of his nightshirt so it didn’t come between us, he locked his thighs around my hips and bounced gently. “He wouldn’t.” His lower lip pressed out in a charming pout and he dropped his gaze down to my lips. “Even when it was just the two of us, he wouldn’t. And then he met _her_. It’s not fair!”

I sighed and slid my arms around his slim frame, holding him close to offer comfort. “I know it was upsetting for you, but he did a good thing when he refused.”

Letting out a desperate whimper, Jack bounced and rolled his hips again. He held his nightshirt out of the way so he could look down to where he was rubbing against me. He had a small erection jutting up out of a tangled nest of honey brown curls that he tried to press against my belly. Jack looped his arms around me and kissed the side of my neck. The tip of his tongue stroked over my pulse, and he made a questioning sound in the back of his throat as if asking for permission to continue.

“You need to stop, lad.” He weighed next to nothing when I picked him up. I cradled him to my chest while I turned down the covers, and tucked him back in. A flash of hurt crossed Jack’s pale features, but it was followed by relief. I couldn’t help but wonder how he had been treated when he had awkwardly tried his hand at flirting with Ferguson. Leaning over the bed, I pressed a kiss to his forehead then mixed him another dose of medicine to help him sleep.

“Don’t tell Daddy.” he pleaded, plucking at my sleeve. “I’ll go away if he wants me to, but I don’t want him angry with me.”

“I won’t.” I brushed Jack’s hair up off his face and stood watch over him as the draught took hold and he drifted back to sleep.

 

It shouldn’t have surprised me that Holmes was waiting for me in the corridor. “I slipped out while you were sleeping. I went to have a conversation with Ferguson.” He glanced down to the front of my trousers, and his brows shot up.

“Don’t, Holmes. Just leave it.” I pulled my coat on to conceal the tented front of my trousers, and let him lead me out of the house in the dark. “He’s in love with his father.”

“I noticed that, yes. I just didn’t realise how far it had progressed. When we were here this morning, I thought it was similar to how little girls wish to grow up and marry a man like their father. And that’s likely how it began.” When we were outside, he slipped his hand into my elbow. “The poor little lad is just confused. While I was talking with Ferguson, I learned that he kept young Jack isolated when they were travelling. With only his father around while he was growing up, Jack must have transferred all of his young lust and desire to explore on the man.” Sighing, he shook his head. “I’ll send a telegram to my grandmother. She is used to sheltering confused young men under her roof. We’ve already seen that his obsession with his father isn’t single minded.” Holmes brushed his fingers over the front of my trousers before we went into the stable to have the horses mounted.

 

Warm breath puffed over my naked thighs. I didn’t even open my eyes while reaching down to tangle my fingers into silky hair. Holmes’ high, rich voice murmured against my leg. “You thought I was a student.”

“We are not having this discussion.”

He ignored me, and ran the tip of his tongue along the underside of my shaft. “Do you remember that? You thought I was a student at the university, and you had to be corrected.”

I rose up on my elbows and glared down at Holmes. His hair was ruffled and he had stripped naked. Normally he hated to sleep bare, since he got cold so easily. He shifted so he was perched up on my legs and I bared my teeth when I saw that he had shaved himself smooth. “Holmes, this really isn’t funny.”

“I agree. It isn’t.” Crawling up the bed, Holmes settled himself on top of me, pressing feather light kisses to my throat. “You still taste like peppermint.” he murmured, sucking on the spot that Jack had been licking before. Holmes ground his hips down on me, my cock brushing along his smooth skin.

“You were in a school laboratory, and you looked to be-”

“Little more than sixteen. I remember. You were annoyed and confused, and more than a bit alarmed that you found me attractive.”

“You’re not going to shut up until I’ve let you finish, are you?”

Holmes reached down so that he could take me in hand. “Don’t worry, it will be worth your while.” He twirled his fingers around the crown and rolled his hips in slow circles.

Flapping my hand in defeat, I dropped back against the pillows. “Carry on, then.”

“Happily.” He suckled on my neck, being careful not to leave marks behind where they would show. “You have taken care of me for years. You are so good, and gentle with me.” Holmes carded his fingers through the grey hair at my temples. When he slid forward to let my cockstand slip between the small swells of his backside, I felt that he was already slicked with oil. I reached behind him and touched his hole with my fingertip, finding that it was loosened. He must have been awake for a good while before rousing me.  

Holmes placed his hands on my chest and rose up to sit back on his heels. His slender shaft curved up in front of him, bobbing with each beat of his heart. He twisted and looked back over his shoulder to watch what I was doing. “Put it in,” he ordered, wiggling his hips from side to side.

I brought my palm down on one cheek, and Holmes clapped a hand to his mouth to muffle a peal of giggles. With all the attention it had received that day, my prick was already completely committed to what was happening. When I took it in hand, it seemed to nod with expectation as I guided it up towards my Holmes’ waiting body.

Eager, or just a bit demanding, Holmes lowered himself down until he was sitting back on my hips. His lip pushed out in a pout of concentration while he tried to find the right angle and rhythm that he wanted. “Promise that you’ll always take care of me.” His voice was small and piping. It was always musically high, but now he pitched it up to mimic a breathless boy.

I resigned myself to this, but I would be damned if I would play along.

“Of course I will, my wee lad.”

Very damned.

I sat up and wrapped my arms around Holmes’ slim waist, taking his weight against my chest so he could move with more ease. I slid my hand up his spine until I reached his hair, and buried my rough fingers into it. He gasped in shock and rolled his head to make me tug at his hair.

Holmes flexed his muscles around me as he bounced and rode. His prick was trapped between us, and I could feel the hot slick of his crown sliding over my skin. I planted my feet on the bed and rolled my hips up in deep, smooth thrusts, aimed at his sensitive prostate.

Covering his mouth wasn’t keeping him silent anymore. Holmes stuck his thumb between his lips and sucked hard on it with his eyes closed. “I’m getting close.” he whined around his thumb, his tongue curled around it. “I’m getting very close, D-”  
“Please, do not say it. I won’t last a second longer if you do.”

Holmes’ body went taut and rigid, his eyes snapping open wide. He clutched at my good shoulder and leaned back as thick semen pulsed out over my chest and neck. His face flushed red, and I held him through it as he shook and shuddered from the force of his climax.

“ _Daddy_!”

 


End file.
